This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the presently described embodiments. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present embodiments. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
In order to meet consumer and industrial demand for natural resources, companies often invest significant amounts of time and money in finding and extracting oil, natural gas, and other subterranean resources from the earth. Particularly, once a desired subterranean resource such as oil or natural gas is discovered, drilling and production systems are often employed to access and extract the resource. These systems may be located onshore or offshore depending on the location of a desired resource.
By way of example, an offshore drilling system typically includes a marine riser that connects a drilling rig to subsea wellhead equipment, such as a blowout preventer stack connected to a wellhead. A drill string can be run from the drilling rig through the marine riser into the well. Drilling mud can be routed into the well through the drill string and back up to the surface in the annulus between the drill string and the marine riser. Unexpected pressure spikes can sometimes occur in the annulus, such as from pressurized formation fluid entering the well (also referred to as a “kick”). For this reason, the marine riser can include a diverter for sealing the return path through the riser and redirecting flow away from the drill floor of the drilling rig.